Acquisitions

Cisco said it will pay $2.9 billion to acquire Starent Networks Corp., a mobile infrastructure provider that targets wireless and converged operators.Tewksbury, Mass.-based Starent has been on a roll recently …

Are the odds of a Verizon Communications bid for DirecTV Group shortening? The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)

Nuance Communications Inc. said it will spend $35 million to acquire Zi Corp., ending a long-lasting – and contentious – courtship.The developer of speech-recognition technology last summer was rebuffed by …

European mobile software company Esmertec AG announced plans to acquire rival Purple Labs SA. The deal will create a new business under the name of Myriad Group AG that will …

Mobile application retailer Handmark announced a deal to acquire FreeRange Communications, a Portland, Ore.-based mobile technology firm, for an undisclosed amount.FreeRange offers a publishing platform designed to help media companies …

VeriSign Inc. announced plans to acquire Certicom Inc. just days after Research In Motion Ltd. dropped its takeover bid of the Canadian software developer.VeriSign will pay either $40 million net …

The Department of Justice said AT&T Inc. must pay more than $2 million to settle a government lawsuit alleging violations of two court orders in connection with the company’s $2.8 …

The Department of Justice said AT&T Inc. must pay more than $2 million to settle a government lawsuit alleging violations of two court orders in connection with the company’s $2.8 …

NetPlay TV Plc forked over $1.47 million in stock to acquire two mobile gambling sites from Zed Worldwide S.A.A U.K.-based firm, NetPlay offers interactive wagering games such as roulette and …

In separate actions, both Research in Motion Ltd. and Nuance Communications Inc. extended their efforts to consummate anticipated acquisitions. For BlackBerry maker RIM, that means extending to Jan. 27 its …

Shares of Glu Mobile Inc. edged upward after the game maker restructured earnout and bonus obligations for last year’s acquisition of the Chinese publisher MIG.Glu converted the entire $25 million …

Research In Motion Ltd. said today it will fight for its takeover bid for Certicom Corp., an encryption firm, after the latter sought a court injunction to thwart RIM’s purchase. …

New York-based directory-assistance company kgb said it has acquired Texperts, a text-based mobile search firm, for an undisclosed sum.Kgb claims to be “the world’s largest independent provider of directory assistance …

Looking to expand its enterprise-focused wireless network solution, Trapeze Networks said it has acquired Newbury Networks.Trapeze said the deal will allow it to combine its network equipment and management systems …

Research In Motion Ltd. is stepping up its application-development play with an $18.9 million acquisition of Chalk Media Corp.A member of the BlackBerry ISV Alliance Program, Chalk’s technology delivers multimedia …

If you thought HTC Corp.’s Touch Diamond felt and looked better than its predecessors, that was the company’s intent. Today HTC said it would acquire the boutique, San Francisco-based design …

Twitter has apparently rejected an all-stock acquisition offer from Facebook. Twitter officials may want more than an estimated $500 million valuation as it continues to build its user base.

Another regional player is set for extinction. Earlier this month, AT&T Mobility announced plans to acquire Centennial Communications Corp. for $2.8 billion. The deal is expected to add approximately 1.1 …

AT&T Inc. announced it acquired Centennial Communications Corp. for $944 million in cash. If the deal closes, AT&T will add 1.1 million Centennial customers to its current customer base of …

AT&T Inc. reported plans to acquire Wayport Inc. for $275 million, expanding the telecom giant’s Wi-Fi offering to thousands of locations and offering free Internet access to millions of its …

Sprint Nextel Corp. has decided to continue its commitment to its iDEN network.After much speculation that Sprint Nextel was lining up buyers for the network, the company announced an extended …

Verizon is poised to become the largest cell phone service provider in the United States, leapfrogging over the current leader, AT&T.

Nokia Corp. once again raised the stakes in its consumer play, acquiring mobile messaging company OZ Communications for an undisclosed amount.A Montreal-based outfit that claims 220 employees, OZ gained a …

T-Mobile USA Inc. officially took the reigns from SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. The nation’s No. 4 carrier launched its branded service in former SunCom markets across North Carolina, South Carolina, …

Synchronica said it will fork over roughly $5 million in new shares to acquire fellow mobile e-mail provider AxisMobile.A U.K.-based firm that provides over-the-air firmware update technology based on open …